


A Good Queen Is Good To Have

by SecondStarfall (beantiger)



Series: The Second Starfall Stories [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Best Friends, Childhood Trauma, Communication, Empathy, Fairy Tale Elements, Fairy Tale Style, Female Friendship, Flash Fic, Friendship, Gen, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, LGBT Allies, Lesbian Character, Medieval, Microfic, Originally Posted Elsewhere, Protectiveness, Royalty, Understanding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-24 23:01:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22005889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beantiger/pseuds/SecondStarfall
Summary: "I am the crown princess, you know. If anyone spoke even a drop of evil toward you, I could have them led to the guillot—""Don't.""Don't?"***When a terrible and oppressive past haunts her best friend, a princess provides comfort.
Series: The Second Starfall Stories [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1582975
Kudos: 15





	A Good Queen Is Good To Have

**Author's Note:**

> This is a version of the original Twitterfic, same title, posted over at my now-deactivated personal account in December 2019. It has been given minor edits for consistency with other stories and readability on AO3. ❤️
> 
>  **SUGGESTED RE-READING:** This is the second story I wrote in this universe. ["The Botanist's Most Important Failure"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21990349) is the story directly before this one, and the first _Second Starfall_ story in general. It makes a good introduction.
> 
> ✨ [[see the full SecStar timeline](https://secondstarfall.com/index.php/Official_Timeline) | [check out the SecStar wiki](https://secondstarfall.com/)] ✨

The girl who became the royal botanist and the girl who became queen had been friends since childhood. They acted, in all things, as sisters—and they read each other as easily as a scholar reads a text in his field.

So that day in the palanquin, the future queen leaned in to whisper, "What's happening that has your face so hard? Well—more so than usual." 

The girl who loved flowers told her.

"Ah," said the future queen. "Is that all?"

"Not all! Where I'm from, it's...incorrect."

"Not so here. You've seen it! Love is freer than the wind. Although my father used to say it was about as capricious—" 

"The fear stays with me, still. In my bones."

"I am the crown princess, you know. If anyone spoke even a drop of evil toward you, I could have them led to the guillot—"

"Don't."

"Don't?"

"At home, that's what they would do to people like me, if they had the chance. I'm certain of it." 

The future queen watched the scenery outside the palanquin, her thoughts connecting.

She said, "Is there any way you would feel safer?"

"Will you give me space when I need it, and stick with me when I need it?"

"I shall—and a thousand of my best guards." 

"You have my vote, then."

They leaned their heads together, these two young people traversing a road paved for them centuries ago. Uneasiness and certainty both hung in the air.

"My friend," said the future queen, "we don't vote here."

"Ah. Right."

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment or a kudos or whatever the heck if this tickled your fancy. There shall be more! ❤️
> 
> ✨ [[see the full SecStar timeline](https://secondstarfall.com/index.php/Official_Timeline) | [check out the SecStar wiki](https://secondstarfall.com/)] ✨
> 
>  **AUTHOR'S COMMENTARY:** I love cuddly friendship, and especially cuddly female friendship. I always try to give my characters at least one totally platonic but extremely loving buddy upon whom they can rely.
> 
> I also wanted to portray a cishet person who tries to understand, realizes they can't, but nonetheless does the right thing anyway. The queen will make very many bad decisions in her life, but it's always in defense of those she loves.


End file.
